4 Ways Too Much Screen Time Affects Your Child

It’s understandable that in this day and age, we often give kids gadgets to distract them or stop them from crying. Not to mention, with the rising age of technology – it seems inevitable that every child is now equipped with a phone or tablet. However, as Vernice Si Toh, a psychologist shares on SOL Integrative Wellness, using screen time as a form of distraction while you carry out daily tasks may actually prohibit them from learning how to regulate boredom, stress, impulses, and emotions. Check out what other areas Vernice suggests may be impacted from too much screen time:

1. Poor eyesight

Many countries have reported a rise in short-sightedness (myopia) and researchers are looking at indoor time as the main culprit as sunlight is crucial in the development of the eye. In 2013, a Taiwanese school had their students remain outdoors throughout their entire recess period (about 80 minutes) and found that a year down the road, fewer students were diagnosed with myopia as compared to the school next door.

2. Poorer sleep

Have your children begged you to extend their curfew so they can squeeze in more screen time? Not only will this eat into their sleeping hours, but all that brain activity right before bedtime can mean that your child’s brain won’t be in an optimal resting mode – causing low quality sleep.

3. Weight gain

Studies have shown a direct relation between screen time and weight gain. The more television time a child clocks in, the more likely they tend to be overweight.

4. Obstructs learning

The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that screen time has negative effects on the development of fundamental learning, language, and emotional skills. This is because it doesn’t allow a child to fully explore the world in an unstructured manner – crucial in a child’s learning especially in problem solving. Interaction with others and immediate feedback, however, have a more positive effect on learning.